Attachment for telephone money boxes



Nov. 17, 1931. c. T. M DOWELL ATTACHMENT F O R TELEPHONE MONEY BOXES Filed Nov. 29, 1929 Gil/NFL 55 T Mcfiou/fu INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS;

Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES CHARLES T. MCDOWELL, F LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY ATTACHMENT non. TELEPHONE MONEY BOXES Application filed November 29, 19291 Serial No. 410,491.

This invention relates to improvements in receptacles, an object being to provide means for closing an opening in a receptacle in such manner that the opening will be free for the passage of articles or objects when the receptacle is in its normal position, but will be automatically closed when the receptacle is inverted.

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of a coin receptacle which is especially designed for use with telephones so that coins directed into the coin box of pay station telephones cannot be removed by inverting the telephone and coin box.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention further includes the following novel features and details or construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a coin receptacle with the invention applied.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 2-9. of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 with the receptacle inverted.

In pay station telephones after a call has been made, the operator causes the deposited coin to enter a chute located immediately above the opening in the coin box. The box is provided with a shutter or closure for the opening, and this shutter is spring influenced to close the opening, but is held in open position when the box or receptacle is within the telephone. This shutter however, is automatically closed when the box is removed from the telephone and is locked in closed position so that the receptacle is returned to the proper department of the telephone company in closed condition, and can only be opened by an authorized person.

However, a repair man having access to the telephones may invert the telephone with the receptacle therein, and as the receptacle is held in open position, the coins will be returned to the coin chute. The box or receptacle may then be removed from the telephone and upon returning the telephone to its normal upright position, thecoins will drop from the coin chute.

Thep'resent invention overcomes this disadvantage by providing means for automatically closing the receptacle -when the telephone is inverted.

In the drawings wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts, the

box or receptacle for the coins is indicated at 10. This box is provided with a lid or cover 11 within which is a compartment 12, and arranged within the compartment is a closure plate 13 which is designed to close an opening 14: provided in the cover and located beneath the coin chute of the pay station telephone, so that the operator may diroot the coin into this chute and through the opening into the box after a telephone connection has been efi'ected. The plate 12 is spring influenced so that it will be urged to close the opening 14 and is provided with an extension 15 which is engaged by suitable means (not shown) arranged within a telephone so that the closure plate will be held in open position as long as the receptacle remains within the telephone. Upon the removal of the receptacle from the telephone, the plate will be'automatically moved into position after closing the opening 14 under the action of its spring. The extension 15 operates through a curved slot 16 provided in the top of the cover 11.

When the closure plate is moved into position to close the opening, this plate is engaged by a pivotally mounted spring actuated locking member 17 and this member is engaged by a spring influenced dog 18 having a shoulder 19 against which the outer end of the member 17 is seated.

The parts are thus locked so that the closure plate cannot be opened without removing the cover and rotating the locking member 17 through the medium of a screw driver or like tool inserted in a slot 20 in the inner end of the trunnion of a locking member.

As previously stated, the receptacle is maintained in open position while within the telephone and in order to prevent removal otthe coins from the receptacle by inserting the telephone, the present invention provides a pair of pivotally mounted plates 21. These plates are mounted as indicated at 22 at opposite edges of the opening 14 and are weighted as indicated at 23 so as to insure movement by gravity extending from opposite edges of the opening 14; and disposed at right angles to the doors 21 are plates 24. These plates are provided with downwardly and inwardly inclined flanges 25 which are arranged in the path of opening movement of the doors 21, so that when the receptacle is in the normal position shown in Figure 2, the doors 21 will be open but will be held to one side of the center of gravity. As long as the receptacle is inverted, the doors will assume the closed position shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, so that when the telephone is inverted with the receptacle therein the contents of the re ceptacle will be prevented from escaping.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed is 1. In combination with a receptacle having an opening therein, Weight operated pivotally mounted doors at opposite sides of the opening, and means to stop opening movement of the doors prior to said doors reaching the center of gravity to insure closing of the doors when the receptacle is in inverted position.

2. In combination with a receptacle having an opening therein, weight operated pivotally mounted doors at opposite sides of the opening, plates extending downwardly at opposite edges of the opening and dis aosed at right angles with respect to the oors, and downwardly and inwardly inclined flanges at opposite edges of the plates in the path of opening movement of the doors.

3. In combination with a receptacle having an opening therein, a closure for the opening and means to hold the closure in open position, of weight operated doors for said opening, and means to limit opening movement of the doors to insure closing of the latter when the receptacle is inverted.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHAS. T. MCDOWVELL. 

